Shaolin, Sing Wah, and a Time Cop
by Keyne2193
Summary: Originally intended as a graphic novel, this story has recently been rewritten in narrative form for the 20th anniversary of both of these shows. In summary, Darien tracks a fugitive who's been terrorizing the citizens of Chinatown and is after the secrets of the Shaolin. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Selma's log, "These are the journals of Darien Lambert, Captain, Fugitive Retrieval Section, A.D. 2193. Location: A large American city too secret to name. Time: Fall 1994. My captain and I came to this city in pursuit of an arms dealer named Michael Fletcher. That case turned out to be relatively simple compared to what we were about to face."

Captain Darien Lambert chased the fugitive through the streets of the Chinatown neighborhood. Detective Peter Caine was just returning to his car when they whizzed by, almost knocking him over.

"Looks like trouble," Peter said out loud to himself. He took off after them, but was no match for their speed.

The fugitive turned into a narrow alley, tripped on some garbage, and fell flat to the ground. Darien whipped out his PPT as he came to a stop, hovering over the fallen fugitive. "End of the line, Fletcher," said Darien. "I'm sending you back." A red pellet came out of the PPT and Fletcher momentarily turned red. "Transmission tone, Selma." Fletcher disappeared in a flash of light.

A few seconds later, Peter entered the alley with his gun drawn. He held out his badge and called out, "Police! Hold it right there."

Darien put his hands up to about shoulder level, "Take it easy."

"What's going on here?" asked Peter. "Where's that man you were chasing?"

"Hold on," said Darien. "I'm a federal marshal." He carefully took out his badge and showed it to Peter. "I was chasing a fugitive."

Peter relaxed a little. "What happened to him?"

Darien looked off to the side. "It's taken care of."

Peter looked him over as he put his gun back in its holster. "You should have back up. Especially since you don't seem to carry a gun."

Darien shifted uneasily as he wondered how he was going to get out of this without explaining. The answer came in the form of someone's frantic calls for help. Both Darien and Peter rushed to the other end of the alley. On the other side of the street, five hoodlums were running out of a Chinatown shop. An old woman stood in the doorway amidst broken glass crying for help. As three of the men jumped into a car, Peter and Darien raced across the street and cut off two of the men who were lagging behind. Darien stiff-armed one of the men in the neck and he fell backwards onto the pavement. Peter waved his gun in the other man's face, and he promptly surrendered.

After handcuffing the two men, Peter went to the old woman and followed her into the shop. Darien kept his distance, but went inside as well. The woman led them to a man lying on the floor with several bruises.

"Detective Caine! Please help!" the woman pleaded. "These men came because we would not pay them their protection money. Look what they did to my husband."

Peter knelt down beside the man to take his pulse. "We need an ambulance."

Knowing that Selma would have called for an ambulance Darien replied, "They're on their way."

The woman was frantic. "Why can't the police protect us from this? Why does it happen over and over?"

The words stung Peter, but he replied in a calm voice, "Mrs. Sung, I assure you we are doing everything we can to stop Zhang."

Mrs. Sung went down on her knees to tend to her husband. Peter went back outside to where the two men were handcuffed on the sidewalk. He grabbed one of them by the hair and forced his head back.

"Beating up a defenseless old man!" said Peter through clenched teeth. "You are going down for this! You give us Yao Zhang and maybe they'll go easy on you!"

"It doesn't matter!" the man retorted. "The Sing Wah are going to destroy the Shaolin! We have your secrets."

Peter tried not to show his surprise. "What are you talking about?"

The approaching sirens of the police and paramedics interrupted Peter's interrogation. Darien took the opportunity to slip away from the commotion.

Meanwhile, Kwai Chang Caine was in his quarters meditating. Out of the mists came a vision of an ancient Shaolin.

"Caine! Kwai Chang Caine!" the vision called out to him.

"I am here, Ancient One," replied Caine.

"The secrets of the Shaolin are in danger, Kwai Chang Caine! The scroll, lost so long ago, has fallen into the hands of the Sing Wah. The secrets it holds could be the end of the Shaolin!"

Caine immediately wanted to help. He inquired of the specter, "What can I do?"

A little while later Darien entered his hotel room. "Visual mode, Selma." Selma appeared on the other side of the room. "I've been thinking about what just happened in Chinatown. The name Yao Zhang sounds familiar. Is he one of our fugitives?"

"Yes, Captain," said Selma.

"Let's take a look at him. Project mode." The holographic criminal profile appeared with Zhang's rotating image.

"Wanted for extortion, murder, and drug trafficking," summarized Selma. "He disappeared in 2190 along with two of his presumed associates. He is rumored to be a member of a secretive sect called the Sing Wah. In 2188 it is believed that he was behind the attempt to steal an ancient scroll from the Beijing Historical Museum that once belonged to another sect called the Shaolin."

"That all fits with what we heard today," said Darien. "The Sing Wah and the Shaolin are like Yin and Yang, good versus evil. When was the scroll discovered?"

"The scroll will not be discovered until 2093," reported Selma.

Darien looked thoughtful, "Then we have to assume that since Zhang knows where the scroll will be discovered, that he went and got it here in the 20th century. What does the scroll say?"

"No one has ever fully deciphered it, and what is known has remained so confidential that even I do not have access to it."

Darien went over the events of the day in his mind. "It must be very important. We'll need to find out what the locals know about where to find Zhang. Where can I find Detective Caine?"

"Scanning," said Selma as she searched for the answer. "A Detective Peter Caine works at the 101st precinct, which is near Chinatown."

Later, at the 101st precinct, Darien entered the building and made his way through the crowd of police officers, thugs, hooligans, and streetwalkers and up to the front desk. The desk sergeant had a scowl on his face as he chewed out a couple of toughs in handcuffs. His nameplate read Broderick.

"Excuse me," Darien tried to say above the noise. "Excuse me. I'm looking for Detective Peter Caine."

Broderick barely gave him a glance. "Hold your horses," he said in a gruff voice.

Darien looked confused. He quickly got out of the way as officers struggled to control someone on an LSD trip. Broderick continued to fill out forms while grumbling about finding some peace and quiet. Finally he put his pen down and looked up at Darien.

"Who are you?" he asked without much interest.

"Darien Lambert, federal marshal."

Broderick's eyebrows rose. "Why didn't you say so? Caine's in the back." He indicated the direction with a thumb over his shoulder. Then he went back to his forms.

"Thanks," said Darien. He walked into the chaotic squad room. Phones were constantly ringing and people were everywhere. Darien managed to spot Peter at his desk amidst all his paperwork. "Detective Caine, I don't think we were formally introduced earlier today. My name's Darien Lambert." He stuck out his hand and Peter shook it.

"Peter Caine. Thanks for your help today, but why did you take off like that?"

"It looked like things were under control. I didn't want to get in the way. I didn't think it was my case, but I did some checking and it turns out that the man you're after, Yao Zhang, is a fugitive that disappeared a few years ago."

Captain Blaisdell came up behind Darien as he was saying this and overheard what he said. "You know something about Zhang?" Darien turned around at the sound of his voice and Blaisdell introduced himself. "Captain Paul Blaisdell."

"Darien Lambert, federal marshal." They shook hands.

"Come into my office," said Blaisdell. "You too, Peter." They went into his office and closed the door. Blaisdell crossed over to his desk and sat down. "So Zhang is wanted by the feds. Why haven't I heard about this before?"

Darien thought fast. "He's very elusive. We weren't aware that he was in this city until now."

Blaisdell sighed, "Well it's true that he hasn't been making his presence known until recently."

"As far as organized crime goes, he's taken over a great deal of territory in a short time," added Peter. "He's already kicked out a Tong or two."

"He seems to be more powerful than anything we've seen in this city," said Blaisdell.

"He is a very dangerous man," said Darien with seriousness in his voice. "Do you have any leads on where he can be found?"

Blaisdell leaned back in his chair. "We've got a man trying to get on the inside, but as of now we don't know where his headquarters are or where he lives."

"What about the two men that were brought in earlier today?" asked Darien.

Peter scoffed, "They won't talk."

Darien stood up. "Well, if you get any leads be sure to contact me." He gave them a card with his contact information and left the office.

Meanwhile, Caine and the Ancient were sitting at a sidewalk café in Chinatown drinking tea.

"This Zhang is worse than Tan," said the Ancient with anger in his voice. "You know what happened to Mr. Sung. They did the same thing to Sho at the meat market." He sipped his tea. "Everyone is very frightened. Something needs to be done." He looked at his friend, but Caine was looking very distant. "Are you all right, Kwai Chang Caine? You are thinking of the vision you had?"

"Yes," said Caine no longer surprised at the Ancient's ability to know his thoughts. "I have had a strange feeling ever since Zhang came to Chinatown. I think it is connected to the scroll. I can sense that it is close by, but I am clouded as to where."

The Ancient set down his teacup. "I have the same feeling. It seems to be draining me of my energy."

Suddenly three men came at them from different directions. They grabbed the Ancient on each side and forced him to stand up. "You're coming with us," one of them said.

Caine stood up and pointed a finger at them. "Release him!"

"Out of the way!" one of them shouted and made a move as if to push him away. Caine pushed back at the same time as he swept his leg out from under him. The men tried to attack him, but Caine had no trouble deflecting blows and landing kicks. The would-be kidnappers gave up and ran away.

Elsewhere, a door slammed in Darien's face. Darien sighed and turned to go back down the steps. "Selma," he said to the computer in his pocket, "the people around here are really scared. No one will even talk to me. Someone must know something about where to find Zhang."

"Perhaps the best course of action would be to let the people come to you," came her reply."

Darien laughed, "Yeah, right."

Suddenly a man came up to Darien. "Hey," he said, "I hear you've been asking about where to find Zhang."

Darien looked at him with surprise. "That's right. Do you know something about that?"

"No," said the man with a slight smile, "but I know who you should go talk to."

"Who?"

"Kwai Chang Caine."

Later, at Yao Zhang's lair, Zhang stood looking out his large office window when three of his associates entered the room. Without turning around Zhang asked, "You have the one called the Ancient?"

"No, Master Zhang," came the reply.

Zhang continued to look out the window. "And why not?" he asked in an eerily calm voice. "Someone interfered?"

"Yes, Master Zhang. Kwai Chang Caine."

Zhang spun around and pounded the desk with his fists. "Caine again?!" he shouted. "And the three of you couldn't handle it?!" The three men looked at the floor. "I should have known. Get me Chow and Li. They should have gone in the first place. I want Caine taken care of tonight!"

That night Caine was alone in his quarters mixing up some herbs in the apothecary room. Before he even had a chance to sense their presence, two men entered through the terrace and began to attack him. Caine had never seen the fighting style that these two men were using before and he was having difficulty defending himself. They were so incredibly fast. Caine was getting beat!

Meanwhile, Darien was approaching the fire escape outside Caine's quarters.

Darien looked up, "I guess this is the place."

"Captain," came Selma's voice, "how can you be sure that the man on the street can be trusted?"

"Call it instinct," replied Darien as he started up the outside stairway. "Besides, it's the only lead I've got."

"Captain," Selma's voice sounded urgent, "I detect a struggle on the top floor." Darien sped up.

Up in Caine's quarters Caine was having a hard time staying on his feet. Darien raced in. He assessed the situation and then jumped in to help Caine. He landed a few good blows and distracted the two attackers long enough to give Caine the chance to catch his breath. One of the attackers pulled something out of his pocket and got ready to throw it at Caine. Caine saw the motion and prepared himself to snatch it out of the air as if it was a throwing star. Darien noticed it as well, but he recognized it as an exploding ball from the future. At the same time, Peter entered the scene on a routine visit.

As the attacker threw the ball at Caine, Darien used his time stalling ability and super quick speed to knock Caine out of the way while deflecting the ball with his arm. The ball exploded, making a gash in Darien's arm. Caine and Darien landed in a heap. Time seemed to stop as everyone was stunned by what just happened. Peter stood with his mouth hanging open, the eyes of the attackers went wide, and Caine had a look of bewilderment. The shock wore off and the attackers looked at each other, looked at Peter who was about to draw his gun, looked at each other again, and then took off in a flash out the terrace.

Seeing that they were gone, Peter left his gun in its holster and rushed to his father. "Pop! Are you all right?" He helped Caine untangle himself from Darien and helped him up. Then he gave Darien a hand. "Darien! You saved my father's life!"

Caine looked over at Darien. "We must tend to your wound. I am an apothecary." He started gathering herbs that had been tossed around in the fight. "You two know each other?"

Darien picked up a stool that had been knocked over and sat on it. "I'm Darien Lambert. I'm a federal marshal looking for Yao Zhang. I'm working with the local police trying to track him down."

Caine began treatment for Darien's arm, but then stepped away to get some more supplies.

"Why did you come to see my father?" asked Peter.

"I didn't know he was your father," replied Darien. "I heard that he was an influential member of the community and that he might know something about Zhang."

Caine returned and continued with the treatment. "I am very grateful that you came in when you did. Your selfless act does you honor."

"That was incredible!" said Peter with excitement in his voice. "How did you move so fast? How did you know that thing was going to explode?"

Darien shrugged. "It's a part of my training." Caine finished tending to the wound by putting a cloth over Darien's arm. Darien looked at Caine. "Thank you, but how are you? Those guys really gave you a beating."

"I will be fine," said Caine matter-of-factly. He began looking for some unbroken teacups.

"Those guys were sent by Zhang," said Darien. "Why would he be after you?"

"Zhang seeks control and power by any means necessary," said Caine as he began preparing some tea.

"My father's been putting up resistance in the community," said Peter. "He stopped a kidnapping this afternoon."

"The Ancient?" asked Darien.

Peter was surprised. "Yeah, how did you know?"

"I heard about it when I was investigating." Darien turned to Caine. "I also heard that you're a Shaolin priest."

Caine nodded his head. "I am." He turned away from Darien as he collected another cup.

"Do you know about the scroll?"

Caine almost dropped the cup he was holding.

Peter was instantly curious. "Scroll? What scroll?"

Caine remained silent.

"A scroll with the secrets of the Shaolin," said Darien, "just like that thug was talking about earlier today. It's been lost for centuries. I believe that Zhang has it. He's a member of the Sing Wah."

Caine turned around and looked at Darien with suspicion. "How do you know this?"

"I can't explain how I know it," said Darien. "You'll just have to trust me."

Caine turned it over in his mind. It was very unusual for someone from the Western world to know about such things. But there was something about this young man that told Caine that he could trust him.

Peter was bursting with curiosity. "What kind of secrets are they? Did you know about this, Pop?"

Caine passed out the tea and sat down. "An ancient Shaolin came to me while I was meditating and told me of it. I, too, believe that Zhang has it, but I did not realize that he was Sing Wah." He looked Darien in the eyes. "Do you know what the scroll says?"

"No. No one does," said Darien after he sipped some tea. "It's encrypted somehow."

Caine was relieved to hear his answer.

"That's probably why they tried to take the Ancient," said Peter. "They figured he'd know how to decipher it."

"We must find Zhang and the scroll as soon as possible," said Caine. "He must not learn of its secrets."

Darien glanced at his watch. "It's late. We should find you someplace safe. They may come back."

"I'll take care of it," said Peter with a tone of protectiveness. "Let's start fresh in the morning. Come by the precinct."

"Okay," agreed Darien. He set down his teacup and looked at Caine. "Thanks for everything." As he got up to leave, the cloth on his arm fell off revealing that his wound was totally healed. He saw that Caine and Peter were looking at it in amazement. "I guess it wasn't as bad as we thought," he said a little sheepishly. "See you tomorrow." He quickly went out the door.

Peter looked at Caine. He made a quick comparison of Darien and his father's abilities. "You sure he's not Shaolin?"

Meanwhile, at Zhang's lair, Zhang was sitting at his desk in his half-lit office when Chow and Li entered the room. Zhang didn't even have to look at them. "Something tells me that you were not successful."

"No, boss," said Chow in a quiet voice.

Zhang sprang up and hurled papers and books off his desk in a fury.

Li tried to explain. "Someone from our time came in and saved him."

Zhang furrowed his brows. "What?"

"He was time stalling and using mash-ti," said Li.

"We checked around with our network," said Chow. "This guy's been asking about you."

"He's trying to find you," added Li.

Zhang slowly sat back down and looked deeply troubled. "I've heard that a cop was sent back. I didn't think I'd run into him this soon." He ran a hand over his goatee. "I'm not going to sit and wait for him to find me." He looked up at his two henchmen. "We're going to get him before he gets us."

The next day at the 101st precinct, Peter, Caine, and Darien were gathered around Peter's desk when Blaisdell came up to them.

"Chin just checked in," said Blaisdell. "He said that something's going down at the old warehouse on Chestnut related to Zhang's operation. Zhang himself may even be there."

Peter bolted out of his chair. "All right. Let's go check it out."

"Not without backup you're not," admonished Blaisdell.

Peter quickly put his jacket on. "Have them keep their distance. We'll check out the situation."

A few minutes later the trio arrived at the warehouse.

"You take the front," said Darien to the Caines. "I'll check out the back." He took off before anyone could say anything different.

As he got close to the back door Darien asked, "Selma, is anyone inside?"

"I detect two heartbeats at the center of the building," replied Selma.

Darien cautiously entered the back door.

At the front of the warehouse, Peter was about to open the door when it suddenly flew open and three men ran out. One of them stuck his hand in Peter's face and pushed him to the ground. Caine recognized the men as the same ones who tried to grab the Ancient. Two of the men took off and Peter got up and ran after them. The third man hung back and faced off with Caine. He pulled a steel whip out from the inside of his jacket.

"We meet again, Shaolin," he snarled. "I don't like being humiliated. You're gonna pay!" He lunged at Caine.

Meanwhile, in the back of the warehouse, Darien was struggling to see in the dim light. He had his PPT in his hand as he slowly made his way through the shadows. Suddenly, two men appeared on either side of him.

"Captain Darien Lambert," said Chow with a sneer. "Master Zhang is eager to meet you."

Darien remained calm. "You must be Chow and Li. I'm here to send you back as well."

Chow was cocky. "I don't think so."

Li fired a futuristic weapon at Darien. It looked like he was shooting electricity. Darien jumped out of the way and sparks flew everywhere. Darien quickly fired a blue pellet at him, but it missed. Chow took out a throwing star and threw it at Darien. Darien quickly grabbed a metal lid and deflected the star. Unknown to any of them, the star then struck a nearby propane tank and punctured a hole in it. Gas was leaking out!

Both sides took cover behind crates as they continued to fire at each other. Darien went on the move to get in a better position just as Li fired his weapon.

Back at the front of the warehouse, Caine succeeded in disarming his opponent and knocked him to the ground. Peter ran up to him with the backup moving in.

Suddenly there was a huge explosion at the back of the warehouse!


	2. Chapter 2

A few hours later back at the precinct, Peter entered Blaisdell's office and angrily kicked over the garbage can. Caine was a few steps behind him.

"I can't believe we walked right into that trap!" said Peter with frustration.

Blaisdell was also shaken by the events. "I'm pulling Chin out. They must have made him." He looked at Peter. "If it's any consolation, I don't think they intended to blow up the warehouse. The preliminary report is that there was a leaking propane tank." He paused to gather his composure. "They haven't found any bodies yet."

Peter was distracted. "I found this near the edge of the warehouse." He pulled out Darien's "car alarm." "I saw Darien holding something just like this in the alley where we met." He turned it over in his hands before putting it back in his pocket. "If Darien wasn't in there, why would he just disappear like that?"

"I've been trying to contact his superiors," said Blaisdell. "Apparently only one person has ever heard of him, an agent Annie Knox. She said he's on a top-secret mission and that he might do strange things. She seemed concerned about him."

Detective Jody Powell appeared at the door and knocked lightly. "Sorry to interrupt," she said, "but I thought you should know that something's beeping inside your desk, Peter."

"What?" asked Peter, confused. He went out to his desk and Caine and Jody followed. He opened a drawer and pulled out a small piece of electronics.

"Blake is going to go ballistic if he finds out you've still got that tracking device," Jody scolded.

"He'll get over it," Peter retorted. He studied the device for a bit and then noticed that Jody was still watching him. Not wanting to get her involved in the situation he said, "Thanks, Jody. I've got it covered."

Jody was clearly put-out by the brush-off. "Sure. Just let me know if you need any help." She walked away.

Peter continued to stare at the device.

Caine knew he must have discovered something. "What is it, my son?" he asked.

"This lets us track someone after putting a bug on them," explained Peter. "The thing is, all my bugs are accounted for since I used this in the Patterson case. But somehow I'm picking up a signal and it's flashing in Morse code. S.O.S."

Meanwhile, Darien was laying face down on a cement floor in a storage room. He slowly began to wake up. He put a hand to his head and groggily sat up. As he started to come to his senses he began to check his pockets. He found Selma in his shirt pocket and held the card in his hands.

"Selma!" said Darien, relieved. "Visual mode." She appeared standing next to him. "Boy, am I glad to see you. What happened? Where am I?"

"A propane tank in the warehouse exploded," reported Selma. "You were knocked unconscious. Chow and Li took you here. Their conversation would indicate that this is the place where Zhang has been hiding."

Darien got up, went to the door, and tried to open it. "Locked!" He searched his pockets further. "Selma, where's my PPT?"

"It was knocked out of your hand during the explosion."

Darien couldn't believe it, "You mean it's back at the warehouse!?"

"Yes, Captain."

Darien started to pace. "Oh, great. Just great."

"Captain if I may…" Selma hesitated. "I took the liberty of sending a distress signal to Detective Caine. He should be able to track us to our current location."

"Good work, Selma."

Outside, Peter and Caine were sitting in Peter's car. They had parked about a block from the building of interest.

"Well," said Peter, "the signal seems to be coming from the Curry building."

"Yes," agreed Caine. "I can feel the presence of the scroll as well."

Peter stared at the building and then turned to his father. "I think there might be a great loss of life and possibly the scroll too if a team goes in there with guns blazing."

"Yes," said Caine solemnly.

"You got any kung fu mystical tricks that could get us in there quietly?" Peter asked jokingly yet hopefully.

"As a matter of fact, I do," replied Caine. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a vile of powder. "It is called Mist of the Marsh. The Ancient gave it to me a short time ago when I had to protect the archeologist from the Sing Wah. It will make us temporarily invisible."

Peter looked at it in disbelief. Then he looked at his father. "You carry stuff like that around with you?"

Caine shrugged.

"I've got to learn to stop being surprised by you," Peter reprimanded himself. "All right, let's do it."

Meanwhile, Darien searched the room he was being held captive in, looking for a way out. Behind an empty cardboard box he found an air duct.

"Selma, can you tell where this goes?"

"Air circulation system continues throughout this level of the building with access points similar to this one in every room," reported Selma.

Darien started to take off the cover. "Will I fit?"

Selma looked skeptical. "It may be tight, but you should be able to manage."

"I'll find out," said Darien. "Voice mode." Darien crawled into the air duct as Selma disappeared.

Back outside, Caine and Peter were standing on the sidewalk around the corner from the Curry building. Caine shook some of the Mist of the Marsh onto his hand and then threw it into the air. Both he and Peter disappeared.

A guard was standing by the door on the inside of the Curry building. Suddenly the door opened seemingly under its own power. The guard was surprised and he reached for his gun, but there was no one there. The guard went outside to check around.

Caine and Peter were already inside and they moved to a hallway away from the door. The Mist of the Marsh wore off and they were visible again.

The scroll's presence was very strong for Caine now. "The scroll is up," he said.

Peter pulled out his tracking device. "The tracking signal is coming from below. And it looks like it's on the move." He turned to look at his father, but Caine was gone. "Pop?" He looked around. "Pop! Aargh!" He decided to continue following the tracking signal.

In the basement, an air duct cover popped off and Darien came through the opening and into the room. The door to this room was wide open.

Peter was walking down a hallway following the tracking signal. Suddenly he heard someone coming and he quickly ducked around a corner. One of Zhang's men walked by.

Meanwhile, Caine was heading down an upstairs hallway. He came to a corner and could sense someone was standing there. He reached around the corner and gripped the man's neck so that he fell unconscious. Caine dragged him away.

Downstairs, Darien was moving carefully down a corridor. He could hear someone coming down another hallway. He moved closer to the wall and prepared himself.

Peter was walking when he sensed someone approaching. He drew his gun and got ready. Peter sprang around the corner at the same time that Darien was ready to strike. They stopped themselves just in time.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Peter.

"Yikes!" Darien caught his breath. "Peter, good of you to find me – and nearly blow my head off."

Peter holstered his gun. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

"Later. We have to get Zhang. The thing is, I lost something really important back at the warehouse and I need to go back and get it before I can get Zhang."

Peter couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What? Why?" Then he remembered something. "Oh, wait a minute." He took out the "car alarm." "I found this after the warehouse explosion. I'm pretty sure it's yours."

Darien took the PPT from Peter's hand. "Peter, that's it!" He clapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks. Now we can get Zhang."

Peter was more confused than ever. "Wait a minute, you need a car alarm in order to get Zhang?"

"It's another one of those things I can't explain right now."

Meanwhile, Caine entered Zhang's office. No one else was in the room. He went over to Zhang's desk and picked up a piece of paper. Suddenly, Zhang came through the door.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Kwai Chang Caine," said Zhang. "We meet at last. You have turned out to be quite the adversary. I see you have found the scroll."

Caine held up the piece of paper. "This, as you well know, is only a copy."

"Well you can't expect me to leave the original just lying around." Zhang was calm and confident. "I've heard some interesting things about you, Caine," he continued. "I've heard that you have knowledge like the Ancient has knowledge. Perhaps you can decipher this scroll like you deciphered the scroll of the Sing Wah."

"Even if I could, I would not help you obtain the secrets of the Shaolin," said Caine.

"Ah, but perhaps with a little persuasion you will. You see I know that your son is here in this building along with Captain Lambert." His voice turned icy. "Within seconds I can have my men descend upon them." His eyes narrowed. "Surely they would not survive."

At that moment, Peter and Darien were heading towards Zhang's office. They came down a hallway and cautiously peered around a corner. Three of Zhang's men were standing there. Darien and Peter looked at each other and silently formed a plan.

Peter walked casually around the corner. "Hey, fellas. Read any good books lately?"

The three men were caught off guard and looked dumbfounded at each other. Finally, they decided to attack Peter but before they could make a move, Darien came at them from behind. Darien and Peter rendered the three men unconscious before they knew what hit them.

Back in Zhang's office, Caine tried to stall for time. "Your threat is unfounded. I do not know how to decipher the scroll."

"Well we'll just see about that," said Zhang. He pushed a button on his wristwatch and talked into it. "Get them, now!"

Peter and Darien were carefully making their way closer to Zhang's office. Suddenly Chow appeared before them and Li appeared behind them. Darien quickly pulled out his PPT and Peter drew his gun. Chow moved fast and kicked the PPT out of Darien's hand. Li put his hand out toward Peter's gun. The gun turned red and burned his hand causing Peter to drop it. Darien and Peter tried to fight off Chow and Li, but they were soon out cold after being zapped by a futuristic stun weapon.

Meanwhile, in Zhang's office, Caine struggled to keep his emotions in check. "No purpose would be served by harming my son. You must give me time to look at the scroll if I am to decipher it."

Zhang raised his voice and sounded slightly unhinged. "_Time_? Of course I'll give you _time_. We've got all the _time_ in the world. I'm just getting a little insurance."

The door opened and Chow and Li entered with their unconscious captives. They let Darien and Peter fall to the floor. As Darien landed, Selma fell out of his shirt pocket and landed between him and Peter.

Caine made a move to go to them but Zhang held up a hand. "Stay where you are!" he bellowed. "They are alive. Get to work on the scroll or else they won't be."

Caine reluctantly began looking at the scroll and Zhang moved over toward Darien. "So this is Lambert," Zhang said with disgust. "Stupid blanco. We really only need one hostage. You two were supposed to take care of him back at the warehouse." He dismissed Darien with a wave of his hand. "Take him out of here and get rid of him for good."

"No!" said Caine forcefully. "Do not harm him."

Zhang spun around with renewed interest in Caine. "Why? What is he to you?"

With all of the attention focused on Caine, Selma zapped Darien and Peter with an electrical current the right frequency to wake them up. Darien came to his senses faster than Peter and he saw Selma on the floor. He picked her up and put her back in his pocket. He also noticed that Chow was holding his PPT. Darien and Peter stayed on the floor to wait for the right moment.

Caine decided to bait Zhang. "You are nothing more than a coward," he said with distaste. "You hide out here and send others to do what you are too afraid to do yourself."

"It is not cowardice – it is power!" Zhang was grandiose.

"Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt. Your desire for power will be the end of you. Your eyes are dead. You have no honor."

"Do not insult me!" screamed Zhang in a rage.

All chaos broke loose as Zhang lunged at Caine and at the same time, Darien and Peter went after Chow and Li. Zhang displayed his dexterity in the martial arts in his mixture of the ancient styles and future mash-ti style. Caine was better prepared for such a fight and was able to hold his own.

Peter was able to catch Li by surprise. He boxed Li's ears and Li fell to his knees. Peter landed another blow and knocked Li over. Li had taken Peter's gun and Peter used the opportunity to take it back. He put his knee on Li's back as he handcuffed him.

Darien fought with Chow. He knocked Chow to the floor and wrestled his PPT out of Chow's hand.

Caine blocked Zhang's attack. He spotted a moment of weakness and took advantage of the opportunity. With a swift turning-side kick Caine sent Zhang flying out the window with a large crash.

At that very moment, Darien used his PPT on Chow and injected him with a red TXP pellet. No one else in the room saw it happen. Chow was ready for transport back to the 22nd century.

Zhang had the reflexes and agility of a cat as he managed to grab a hold of the ledge outside the window as he went through. He clung to the ledge and then pulled himself up. Peter and Darien rushed to the window and were just in time to see Zhang climbing up the outside of the building.

"He's going up the wall!" Peter exclaimed.

"The roof!" said Darien. He made a move towards the door.

Caine had other things on his mind. "I must get the scroll."

Darien paused a moment and agreed with Caine. "Right. I'll go get Zhang."

"Not without me," Peter quickly added.

Darien held up a hand. "No, you stay here and take care of these guys. That's an order."

"You're not pulling rank on me," Peter argued.

Caine was tired of the bickering. "Please. There is little time."

"You need someone to watch your back," insisted Peter.

Darien knew there was little he could do to persuade Peter otherwise so he consented. "All right. Fine." The two of them ran out of the office.

Caine could sense that the real scroll was in the large safe in the corner. He went over to there and prepared to open it.

Peter and Darien busted out onto the roof with their weapons drawn. They looked everywhere, but no one appeared to be there. Suddenly Zhang dropped down from somewhere above and landed behind them. Darien and Peter spun around.

"Give it up, Zhang," commanded Darien. "It's over."

"I don't think so," hissed Zhang. He came at Darien with flying arms and legs. Darien was knocked to the ground.

Peter aimed his gun. "Stop or I'll shoot!"

Zhang didn't stop. He positioned himself to strike again. Peter fired, but Zhang was able to jump out of the way. Suddenly Zhang appeared behind Peter and struck him between the shoulder blades. Peter collapsed.

Meanwhile, Caine had opened the safe and he was holding the real scroll in his hands. After briefly looking at it, he put it into his pouch and left the room. Li was lying there watching him. After Caine had left, Li easily pulled his hands out of the handcuffs.

Back on the roof, Zhang took the gun from the fallen Peter and pointed it at him. Darien got to his feet and aimed his PPT at Zhang.

Zhang cocked the gun. "Put the weapon down," he said to Darien.

Darien slowly put the PPT on the rooftop.

"Kick it over here," commanded Zhang.

Reluctantly Darien obeyed the order.

Zhang pointed the gun at Darien instead. "Your time is up, Lambert."

Suddenly Peter grabbed Zhang's leg and pulled it out from under him. Peter quickly picked up the PPT and threw it to Darien. In the same motion he scooped up his gun. He grabbed Zhang's arm and put it behind his back and sat on him.

Just as they began to relax, Li suddenly appeared behind Darien holding a sai. He was about to throw it at Darien when Caine appeared. He grabbed Li's arm, knocked him down, and recovered the sai. Darien spun around at the sounds of the struggle and quickly realized how close he had come to getting killed. He bowed slightly to Caine and thanked him while Caine returned the gesture.

Darien didn't want to waste anymore time. He shot both Zhang and Li with a red pellet from his PPT. Peter and Caine looked stunned.

"Not the average car alarm, I'm guessing?" Peter said with a sarcastic tone.

Darien pocketed his weapon. "I won't ask about the Shaolin secrets if you won't ask about this."

Peter started to protest but Caine quickly said, "Deal." He gave Peter a look.

"Okay," said Peter reluctantly. "Deal."

The next day Caine and Peter were sitting on the terrace at Caine's place having tea. Darien peaked around the corner of the apothecary room from the hallway.

"Knock, knock," said Darien with a smile.

Caine waved him over. "Please, join us."

Darien pulled up a chair. "I just thought I'd stop by and say thanks one more time, and to say goodbye. I'm going back to Washington."

Peter thought about what they had just accomplished as a team. "The streets are a little bit safer tonight now that Zhang's gone."

Darien agreed and then looked at Caine. "I'm not even going to ask what you did with the scroll. I trust that you'll keep it safe?"

Caine nodded. "Yes." He put down his teacup. "I wish you safe journey, my friend." He looked at Darien as if he knew all his secrets. "You have many challenges ahead of you."

"As do you," returned Darien who also seemed to know everything about Caine.

Peter looked from one to the other. "Do you know something I don't know?" he asked whoever wished to answer. Then he decided he'd rather not know. "Never mind, I'm always out of the loop."

Everyone had a good laugh.

THE END


End file.
